Process of cleaning drain pipes with caustic alkali pellets



E. T. LADD.

Sept. 26, 1933.

PROCESS OF CLEANINGDRAIN PIPES WITH CAUSTIC ALKALI PELLETS Filed Nov.25, 1928 INVENTOR Edward ZLadd A i [ORNEY til Patented Sept. 26, 1933UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF CLEANING DRAIN PIPES WITHCAUSTIC ALKALI PELLETS' Edward T. Ladd, Niagara Falls, N. Y.

Application November 23, 1928 Serial No. 321,442

My present invention relates to pellets formed.

from caustic alkali and adapted to be used for domestic and otherpurposes. 7

An object of my invention is to provide caustic alkali in such a formthat it may be removed from the container, handled and used convenientlyand without danger.

A further object of my invention is to provide a form of caustic alkaliwhich is better adapted for certain purposes than'any form heretofore-The. dust which arises during the operation of cutting open the drum,removing the caustic and J breaking the cake into smaller pieces foruse, frequently causes injury to persons and property in the vicinity.The powdered and flaked forms of caustic are open to the same objection.There are also further disadvantages to these forms, which are the usualforms in which the caustic is prepared for domestic purposes. Frequentlyit is desirable to dissolve the caustic in water, but because of thelarge surface coming into contact with the water, there is a violentspattering which lasts for a short period and which places the personpreparing the solution in danger of being spattered with the caustic.

The usual method of applying caustic for cleaning clogged drain pipes isto place the dry caustic in the drain and permit watr to flow overit.

' After the first reaction, the caustic, which is now wet, forms into a.pasty mass which offers resistance to the iiow of water and retards theentire operation.

According to the present invention I have provided a form of causticalkali which may be conveniently and safely handled and which is morerapid in its action than any heretofore in use? In the accompanyingdrawingof the whole. The pellet is formed in a mold of any suitabletype, such as the ordinary pillmaking machine. During the molding themixture is compressed from one-half to two-thirds its original volume. VThe caustic used may be either caustic soda or caustic potash. I havefound both to .be satisfactory.

' In Figure 2 I have illustrated one method of using my invention. Adrain pipe, indicated by the numeral 11, extends downwardly from sink12. The drain pipe is illustrated as being clogged with sediment 13, andI have shown a plurality of pellets 10 which have been placed inthedrain for the purpose of removing the sediment therefrom. The water 14which has been pouredinto the drain, can easily flow through the spacesbetween pellets 10, into contact with sediment 13,

dissolving some of the caustic as it passes over the pellets. There isno possibility that the pellets will materially retard the flow-thereof,as

in the case of\ caustic in the flaked or powdered form.

- InFigure 3, a plurality of pellets 10 have been placed over the top ofthe drain and water poured over them. This method may be employed whenthe pellets may not be conveniently placed "within the drain. Obviously,such a method could not beeemployed using powdered or fiaked caustic. I

Figure 4 illustrates a third method of using my. invention. In thisinstance the pellets have first been dissolved in water and thesolutionthen poured down the drain. Such a method may "be safely carried outusing; the pellets as, 'due to the limited surface of caustic'whichcontacts with the water at any given time, the reaction therebetween isvery mild and there is no danger from spattering of the caustic.

The aluminum which is mixed with the caustic serves a two-fold purpose.It acts as a lubricant in freeing the pellets from the mold, and also,during the reaction itaids in the liberation of hydrogen, therebyrendering the reaction more effective. I have found that when theabovedescribed mixture is molded,'no binder such as has been heretoforeproposed is necessary to vided a form of caustic alkali which may beused with greater-safety and to a greater advantage than any heretoforeknown.

What E claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:-

1. The method of cleaning drain pipes of accumulated greasy deposits,which comprises inserting in a drain pipe a mass of spherical moldedpellets of caustic alkali containing a small quantity of aluminum withrespect to the whole, and of such a size that they may be readilyinserted in an ordinary drain pipe but when inserted will forminterstices of such area as to allow a free passage of water through thedrain pipe.

2. The method of cleaning drain pipes of accumulated greasy deposits,which comprises inserting in the drain pipe a mass of spherical moldedpellets of caustic potash containing subeaaaae stantially two percent offinely divided aluminum, and of such a size that they may be readilyinserted in an ordinary drain pipe but when inserted will forminterstices of such area as to allow a free passage of water through thedrain pipe.

3. The method of cleaning drain pipes of accumulated greasy deposits,which comprises inserting in a drain pipe a mass of spherical moldedpellets of caustic soda containing substantially two percent of finelydivided aluminum, and of such a that they may be readily inserted in anordinary drain pipe but when inserted will form interstices of such areaas to allow a free passage of water through the drain pipe.

EDWARD I. LADD.

